World Reaction

"The death of Yasser Arafat is a significant moment in Palestinian history. ... For the Palestinian people,

we hope that the future will bring peace and the fulfillment of their aspirations for an independent, democratic Palestine that is at peace with its neighbors."

President Bush

"I hated him for the deaths of thousands of Israelis. I hated him for preventing the peace agreements between us and the Palestinians."

Israeli Justice Minister

Yosef Lapid

"Yasser Arafat was one of the outstanding freedom fighters

of this generation, one who gave his entire life to the cause of the Palestinian people. We honor his

memory today."

Former South African President Nelson Mandela

"Yasser Arafat's life stands for the varied and tragic history of the Palestinian people and the Middle East as a whole. In it were reflected many people's hopes for peace, but time and again also their disappointments and setbacks." German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer

"That [Arafat's] time came now is what the gods had written for him. But we think he should have given up his position a long time ago. We're praying for a Palestinian government that will work for peace and care about the interests of its people."

Sofian Abdelaziz,

director of the Miami-based American Muslim Association of North America

"[Arafat was] a great political leader of international significance."

Russian President Vladimir Putin

"With him disappears the man of courage and conviction who, for 40 years, has embodied the Palestinians' combat for recognition of their national rights."

French President Jacques Chirac

"[Arafat was] an outstanding leader of the Palestinian cause and ... an outstanding politician."